5 Ways To Get A Job When You (Think You) Have No Experience

No one is born with experience in the workforce. Read: Everyone starts with a clean slate, and adds work experience as they go along. This means that countless people started jobs without even one iota of specifically-relevant experience. But it’s the specific relevance that’s flexible. Because relevance can cover a broad range, especially when you’re trying to get a job without the experience you think is required. Here’s how to navigate getting a job without specifically-relevant experience.

Rid yourself of the mindset that you do not have experience

You do, read on, enough said.

Think of anything you have ever done that is remotely related to the job you want

Want to be a restaurant server, but have never waited tables? So what? Have you ever helped someone get what they wanted, the exact way they wanted it? Have you ever been to a restaurant and watched the server meticulously take down orders, and handle complaints? Have you had any other jobs that were at all similar? These experiences would all influence how you would serve tables if given the chance.

Include volunteering on your resume

Countless times, people mistakenly omit non-employment positions from their resumes, chalking them up as irrelevant to their job applications. In many cases, especially if you do not have specifically-relevant job experience, your volunteer positions are critical for the employer to see what you have to offer.

Focus on why you want this particular job

By doing so, you will clarify the past experiences that influenced your desire for the job. You can then emphasize these points in the interview. Even if you want the job for its convenience, pay scale, or other reason that is not specific to the work, it is still preferable that you at least act as if you want the job in order to get the job. So, again, ask yourself why you want this job so that you can represent yourself best.

Show your face

If you want a job for which you don’t have specifically-relevant experience, your resume might not make the cut. However, by cultivating personal relationships with the people at your desired workplace, you stand a better chance of that “in” by them knowing you, and thereby fostering trust in. As Woody Allen is attributed saying, “Eighty percent of success is showing up.” So, try to hang out with the people with whom you want to work.

Getting a job is not just about previous experience. Rather, it’s about harnessing the experience you do have in order to pursue the job you wish. Interviewers are impressed by people who take risks, are up for challenges, and are self-confident. If you exhibit these qualities, you are well on your way to getting any type of employment.